Victor Boniface emerged as the hero for Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, scoring the decisive goal in a thrilling 2-1 home victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. The match showcased Leverkusen’s attacking prowess, although Boniface initially struggled when his early penalty was saved.
Frankfurt took the lead through their top scorer, Omar Marmoush, who converted a penalty for the sixth consecutive league match, giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage. However, Leverkusen quickly responded, with Germany international Robert Andrich equalizing by guiding a low shot into the far corner after a beautifully orchestrated team move.
Despite Boniface wasting several good opportunities, Xabi Alonso’s side continued to press hard against the Frankfurt defense. Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp was instrumental for Frankfurt, making at least two exceptional saves to deny Boniface, while Andrich struck the post. Nevertheless, Boniface eventually found the net, taking advantage of a rebound after Trapp could only palm away a cross from Florian Wirtz, and he expertly headed in the winner.
In the second half, Frankfurt struggled to create chances and seemed set to leave with a point until a late scare. A miscommunication between goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and defender Jonathan Tah allowed Hugo Ekitike to seize on a loose ball and aim for an easy tap-in, but Tah made a brilliant last-ditch challenge to prevent disaster.
Leverkusen dominated the match, firing 27 shots on goal, and their victory propels them to fourth in the Bundesliga table, having lost just once in their first seven games of the title defense. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich reclaimed the top spot later on Saturday with a 4-0 resounding win over Stuttgart.
